


Motion and Emotion

by MA_96



Category: MotoGP RPF, Motorcycling RPF
Genre: Gen, M/M, Rekindled Friendship, friends to lovers?, mentions of deaths, rating to change over time, sibling squads, smutty intent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2018-07-12 12:16:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 16,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7103008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MA_96/pseuds/MA_96
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sombre weekend and a handshake bring unforeseen changes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Making Up

**Author's Note:**

> Marc visits Vale after the race to talk about the past.

One weekend, a hundred emotions. Catalunya would be memorable for so many reasons. As Vale sat in his motorhome, he reflected on how the past few days had gone. Luis’ passing had been a massive shock, and had clearly affected everyone in the paddock. It took him back to Sepang 2011, when Marco lost his life, and the hurt came back as he sat alone in thought. He’d watched the Moto3 and seen how subdued the podium was as Jorge had looked to the sky with his trophy. The Moto2 was equally as poignant, the tributes continuing through the day as flags bearing Luis’ number were taken around the track. It really had set the atmosphere going into the MotoGP race, and was on the mind of every rider as they waited for the lights to go out. 

Part of Vale knew he could win that race from the second he took the lead. Even though Marc was constantly close behind, he hadn’t been able to make a pass stick. The dogfight in the final few laps delighted the crowds, Vale barely registering the huge cheers rising when he led across the finish line. He’d won. The parc fermé was predictably quieter out of respect, and Vale went to his team. After seeing them, he turned and shook Marc’s hand, the young Spaniard’s face lighting up as he did. That gesture, done out of kindness, had been hot topic after the race. Now Vale realised how much better he felt for doing it. Since last season in Malaysia, he and Marc hadn’t been on real speaking terms, something which had displeased many people. But now, the hostility had gone. 

There was then a dull knock on his door, and he got up to answer it. Marc was standing there waiting, a bottle in his hand, and Vale let him in without question. It had been so long since they’d met by choice off-track, and it felt a little strange at first. Vale fetched two glasses, both of them sitting down on the luxury leather sofa.

“It’s been too long” Vale murmured, setting the glasses down on the table in front of them and leaning back.

Marc nodded, placing the bottle on the table. He’d brought champagne in private, away from everyone else. He too felt much better for talking with Vale, and was at ease sitting beside the lanky Italian. 

“Thank you, for shaking my hand. After this weekend it means a lot to me” the Spaniard said softly, staring at his hands which were clasped together in his lap.

Vale turned to look at his companion, knowing how much he really meant those words. He’d always been Marc’s biggest idol, that had been clear from the start, and it was a shame that they’d had such a bad fallout over the previous season’s clashes. But the look on Marc’s face in parc fermé, the tone of his voice, and the fact that he’d come round to talk, made him realise that they’d been wrong not to patch it up before now. 

“It means a lot to me too” he replied.

The warmth in Vale’s reply made Marc smile to himself. He looked up at the Italian’s face and saw how sincere he was. “Even when we weren’t friends, you were still my idol” he said slowly, like it was a secret.

Vale laughed. “You understand why we stopped talking though. I’m sorry for how I spoke about you; you of all people know how much that tenth title would’ve meant. And it hurt not to get it. But we’re here to race, and the aggression is just what you do. Good, instinctive racing; don’t lose that” he explained.

Marc nodded and placed a hand on Vale’s shoulder. The conversation had been much more than just a simple chat, dealing with the root of the issues which had plagued them since last season. Everything was much clearer now that it was explained, and they both sat in silence for a moment or two, thinking about the day.

After a while, Marc reached for the bottle, opening it and pouring a glass each, handing one to Vale. Then he picked up his own glass and sat up, turning to face the Italian as he raised his glass.

“For Luis?”

“For Luis”


	2. Assen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After making up, Vale realises how much he missed his friend. Now the relationship is back, but has it changed?

Testing came and went, and the guys moved on to Assen. But the memories of Spain were still fresh, especially for Vale. It felt like he was reliving that win every day, people remembering Luis and talking about that handshake. Since Marc had come round with the drink, Vale had realised how much he’d missed the young Spaniard. Until their clash they’d gone out drinking, spent time together after most races. Then it had all stopped, but the focus on the competition had been such that Vale hadn’t thought about their friendship. All that mattered was the competition, even if it did mean forcing each other off the track.

Taking a walk of the track before everyone else went out, Vale thought about his friend and how grateful he’d been. The Spaniard clearly wanted to reconcile as much as he did, but now Vale knew that neither of them would apologise for the sake of not being seen as weaker. It was just a shame that it had taken all of the dislike and such a solemn weekend for them to realise that the ongoing feud needed to end. 

“Hey Vale, want some company?”

The sound of Marc behind him made the Italian jump slightly. He’d never heard or seen him come up, but a smile crossed his face nonetheless.

“You’re wanting to get more track time too?” he asked, the pair continuing the slow walk.

“I just like the peace, you know? Calm before the storm. Or maybe after the storm too” Marc replied, glancing down at his trainers. 

Vale then stopped and watched his friend take a few more paces and turn around. “During the break, will you come to the ranch? My treat, we can talk some more and do a few laps” he suggested, extending a hand.

Marc shook it enthusiastically, his cheery smile appearing. “Thanks, it sounds great. What about your academy though?” 

“They can have a break, it won’t hurt them” Vale assured, waving his free hand as they parted.

The two men then made their way back to the pits, returning to their garages to speak with the engineers about the plans for free practice. 

-

Race day was sunny and warm, Marc glancing back to see Vale behind him. Qualifying had been tight, but Marc had edged pole position while Vale had managed fourth. The Italian didn’t move, focused straight ahead as the others rolled into place. One by one, the lights came up. A second later, they were out. 

The race itself was as usual, racing aggressive but clean-cut. Vale found himself quickly up to second, chasing Marc. After a brief stint at the front, Jorge had been leading, but recurring issues had left him further down the group. It was like a re-run of the last race, except the front two had swapped over. In the end, Vale was overtaken by Maverick and finished third, but he didn’t mind so much. The man in second would be on the other side of his garage next season, and he was proving his worth. 

On the podium, all three men were jovial and spraying each other with champagne. It was completely different to Catalunya, all smiles and pictures. There was still an air of memory and respect for Luis, but this time there were greater celebrations. The interviews went as normal, followed by drinking, then everyone retiring to their motorhomes for the night. As Vale made his way back to his motorhome, he could hear laughter and talking. Shaking his head, he let himself in and locked the door. It had been a long day, and he just wanted some time alone to unwind and take a shower before bed.

“Vale? Hey, I know you’re there! Come on, let me in…”

That giggly voice was now at his window, and the Italian sighed. He knew it was Marc, and quickly finished the rest of his shower, hair still dripping as he went to let his friend inside.

“Marc, it’s quite late…maybe you should go and have a sleep” he suggested, seeing the younger man sprawled out on his sofa.

“I love you, Vale”

“Please, not now. I’m tired and you’re too far gone for this to end well”

The Spaniard pouted then laughed again, the sound like a drill to Vale’s ears. He hauled Marc off the chair and extended it into a makeshift bed, then sat the other man down again. 

“You can stay here, I’m not being responsible for letting you go back out and possibly have an accident. We’ve all had too much grief this year as it is. Stay there, I’ll get a blanket and some water”

As he returned with the blanket and bottle, Vale realised how much he’d missed caring for his young friend. While Marc was a man capable of making his own decisions, Vale took responsibility and let him stay because he didn’t want to see him in danger. Of course, they faced danger and risk every time they got on their bikes, but this time there was a deeper personal reason for it. Their friendship was just coming back after months of being against each other, and he didn’t want to see it damaged before it had even had the chance to grow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on in, it's all fiction. I like the idea of the Marc/Vale thing coming back, but want to work on how things have changed since that clash in Sepang. Hopefully it's okay-ish.


	3. Fantasy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *really* small filler while I get ideas...

The next morning, Vale found Marc still sleeping on his sofa-bed. The Spaniard had barely moved since he’d drifted off, and didn’t look like he’d be waking up soon. Leaving the curtains closed, Vale went to shower and change for the day, the cool water somehow feeling more cleansing than usual. When he went back to the lounge area, Marc was sitting up, hair sticking up all over the place.

“How did you sleep?” Vale asked, fetching bottles of water for them both.

Marc grinned and rubbed his eyes, taking his drink as the Italian sat beside him. “Very well…” he replied.

Vale smiled, taking in the sight before him. Seeing his friend so morning-rough made him feel his age, despite knowing he was still a young soul at heart. And, as they took a long drink, Vale remembered what Marc had said last night; I love you.

It was still playing on his mind after Marc left a few hours later. In some ways he could understand it, but then it could also be the one thing neither of them could openly admit. Before they’d fallen out, Vale knew that he felt a certain way about the Spaniard, but he’d kept it under wraps. Now, it seemed like Marc was feeling that same thing. In the time they’d gone without speaking, they’d never hated each other. Suddenly it seemed that the saying of ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ was really true.

Left to his own devices, Marc was free to let his mind wander. He remembered what he’d said as Vale laid him on the sofa, the look of care in his expression. For years, Marc had idolised him, and now he’d crossed the line into fantasy. He knew it was a sin, that it could never happen, that all the taunts about a fictional dalliance with Jorge would be proven true. The public would be shocked, his family outraged. At his age, and Vale’s, he should know better than to consider wanting anything more than just friendship. But alone, that was easier said than done.

Part of him was content just to smile and shake hands, but another part wanted everything else too. The feel of lean muscle under soft skin, the blue eyes as deep as the sea, long fingers, handsome face. Vale was appealing in every aspect, and Marc couldn’t understand why he was single.


	4. Vale's Offer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lads meet up at the ranch, things don't go quite as Vale intended.

The next time the two men saw each other was indeed at Vale’s ranch, Marc having gladly accepted the offer to come and stay. It was early afternoon when the Spaniard showed up, greeted as enthusiastically as usual as he was taken into the house and handed a cold drink. 

“How was your trip?” Vale asked, looking out of the window and over to the track.

“Not bad. A long flight when you really want to get there!” Marc replied with a laugh.

“I’m glad you came, the track is perfect for racing today. I have the bikes ready for us” the Italian said, turning to face his friend.

It was little surprise how quickly Marc put down his glass and headed for the door, Vale following closely behind. They went to the garage where two pristine bikes stood waiting, clearly nothing left out with regards to getting them ready. For a second Marc just stopped and stared at them, then looked quickly to the older man as if seeking approval to touch. Vale nodded, seeing the Spaniard wander over and run his hands over them, bending to marvel at every angle of the bikes. During the relative silence, Vale noted how Marc had looked at him, his expression asking permission to touch. It was nearly submissive, though the Italian had to remind himself not to read too much into it.

“Can we ride? These are so beautiful” Marc murmured, dragging his attention away from the bikes. 

“Of course. You can see a master at work, haha” came the reply, a grin crossing Vale’s face. 

The two men then wheeled their bikes out to the track, propping them up at the start line. Vale had kept some helmets in the hut at the side of the track, going inside to fetch them. 

He tossed one over to Marc, both of them pulling the helmets on and visors down. They then hopped onto the bikes, still in casual clothes, and set off idly down the straight. As much as they wanted to race properly, a slow ride around wouldn’t hurt for the time being. 

After spending some time outdoors, the two men returned to the house for food, a meal which Vale insisted on doing himself. Marc made himself useful by opening a bottle of wine and pouring two generous glasses, setting each by a neatly arranged cutlery set. Whatever Vale was cooking smelled wonderful, and the Spaniard went to peer from behind his friend’s arm. 

“Ay, you wait until it is ready!” Vale commented, swatting the younger man away in jest.

Marc pouted and skulked off to find something to do in the meantime. “What are you making?”

“Is a surprise!”

-

It was quite a while before Vale served dinner, Marc’s eyes shining as he sat opposite Vale. He didn’t bother asking what exactly the meal was, just gave the Italian a compliment before picking up his fork and going straight in. Conversation was sparse for a few minutes, at least until Marc had gotten over his thing about the food. His glass was fast emptying too, Vale’s more slowly.

“This is amazing, Vale” Marc whispered after a while, leaning down.

“Thank you”

“I mean, can I live here? I can ride you-I mean with you, silly boy! Jajaja, you know what I mean!” 

Judging from how Marc was starting to slur slightly, Vale thought it might not be the best idea to go back out to the track tonight. Maybe they could find other ways to pass the time.

“You can’t live here. Even I don’t live here, this is just my playground. Is there anything else you want to see?” Vale asked, finishing the rest of his wine. 

Marc nodded and stood up with a grin on his face, letting Vale take him upstairs to a room with walls of glass. There were canvases and mirrors everywhere, cloths draped over easels. 

“How about we paint for a while?” Vale suggested, seeing Marc sit down on a stool.

“Okay, okay”

-

Painting had never been Vale’s strong point, but he enjoyed it enough to sit for a few hours and paint alongside Marc. The Spaniard seemed to be having a degree of fun, though they both knew it wasn’t at all what Vale had planned. Or, for that matter, what Marc may have been hoping for. 

“Look at this, Vale” Marc announced, turning his canvas towards the Italian.

Vale nodded, seeing that he himself was the subject of the painting. It was very abstract, but the essence of what was meant to be was still there in flashes of blue and yellow-green. 

The painting was propped back up onto the easel as Marc made his way to the windows and looked out, hands pressed against the glass.

“I want to race…” he sighed, turning his face and closing his eyes.

“Maybe tomorrow now, we’ve both had some wine. Probably too much wine for you” Vale explained.

With the light fading as the sun began to set, Marc accepted that he’d have to wait a while longer to properly let go on the track. He’d spent so long waiting for this day that there was already adrenaline in his system that now had nowhere to go. And the painting session hadn’t really done much to ease it.

Knowing that neither of them would be asleep soon, Vale went through to another room on the upstairs level, this time a darker room with a large screen and plush sofas. If anything could distract them, a film was nearly guaranteed to. He flicked the lights and screen on, then opened a cupboard full of films and asked Marc to choose one. Once it was playing, he turned the lights off and fetched some water from the mini fridge in the corner of the room, along with a bucket of ice. He handed Marc a glass and sat back to watch the film.

About halfway through, Vale became aware that Marc had quietened down a lot, and turned to find him sleeping, glass still in his hand. Careful not to wake him, the Italian leant over and put the glass on the floor, seeing the other man shift slightly. He then stretched and took another drink before relaxing back against the cushions. It wasn’t long after that that Vale had to see to Marc again, this time because he was talking. It wasn’t very clear, but he was definitely talking in his sleep. At first the Italian could ignore it, but then he felt a hand brush his thigh. Turning sharply, he moved Marc’s hand away and checked that he was absolutely not awake. Not even a click to the face woke the Spaniard, so Vale turned the volume down and listened to see what else he was saying. For a while there was nothing, but then Marc giggled and moved his hand over his own thighs, down between them and back up. The film was quickly forgotten as Vale turned to watch, wondering what was going on in the Spaniard’s head. He sat still for a while longer, before deciding to turn of the film and go to bed. As he crossed the room to fetch a blanket for Marc, he heard something which he couldn’t get wrong.

“Fuck, Vale, please…”


	5. *Good* Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marc starts dropping hints...

The following morning, Vale went back to the movie room to see if Marc was there, but he found that the Spaniard was no longer around. Their drinks were still on the floor, ice bucket now full of water. Turning and leaving the room, Vale could hear faint noises downstairs, so quietly made his way down. He could see Marc in the kitchen wearing only his boxers, leaving him to wonder where his other clothes were.

“Good morning, how are you?”

The Spaniard jumped at the sound of Vale’s question, turning away from the coffee machine he was tinkering with. “Hey Vale! Your chairs are so comfy, I slept so well on there! I hope you don’t mind, I was going to make a coffee but I can’t work the machine” he replied, voice a little hoarse suggesting he’d not been up long either.

Trying to forget what he’d heard last night, Vale hummed in amusement as he turned the machine around and switched it on, drawing a laugh from Marc. “I’ll sort drinks. You want anything specific for breakfast?” he asked.

Marc shook his head and leant against the worktop, hips forward. “I’m fine thanks. Do you have any spare leathers I can use? The weather looks good for racing!” he said, well aware of how suggestively he was standing. 

Leaving the first cup to fill, Vale turned and looked past his friend. “Yeah, I have some in the room behind the garage. It’s the first door on the left after the one behind you. You can go and try them on, I’ll knock when the coffee’s ready” he affirmed, trying not to divert his eyes anywhere near Marc’s lower half.

The Spaniard grinned and followed the instructions, leaving Vale alone in the kitchen. The Italian bent to rest his arms on the worktop and lay his head on them. Either Marc was blatantly flirting, or he was just looking far too much into what were probably innocent gestures. But then there was the comment made during the film. Sure Marc had had a bit to drink, but people don’t tend to lie when they’re in deep sleep. Part of him wanted to ask Marc straight-up how he felt, but then that question could be turned back onto himself. 

Vaguely hearing the machine finish the drink, Vale snapped himself out of the stare he’d been stuck in, and set up the second cup. He could take the first coffee through to Marc to pass the time, then change into his own leathers ready for a morning of riding. 

Tapping a few times on the door, he heard Marc come over and open it, wearing a set of leathers with the top half hanging down past his waist. Vale stopped and opened his mouth to speak, this time unable to prevent his eyes from glancing down the Spaniard’s bare chest, tanned and smooth. 

“Here’s your coffee” Vale said, his mind catching up with what he was meant to be doing.

Marc took the cup and sipped, leaning in the doorway. “Thanks. You’re changing too?” he asked.

Vale nodded and stepped back. “Sure, I’ll get my drink and join you outside” he replied, turning to go back to the kitchen.

It wasn’t too long before his coffee was done, so Vale quickly drank it and went to get changed. He could hear Marc already going round the track, and left his clothes in a neat pile before making his way out to the garage. The day was overcast but warm as Vale joined his friend on the track. 

“You ready for a real race?” he jested, seeing Marc remove his helmet.

The Spaniard nodded, sitting back. “Always!”

Vale picked his own helmet up and watched Marc do the same. “Ten laps for starters?”


	6. Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex asks questions, Marc wants answers

The week spent at the ranch passed quickly for Marc, and he was reluctant to return home. He and Vale had won and lost their friendly races, watched films, made food. He didn’t want to ask for a longer stay out of seeming rude, but Marc really didn’t want to leave. But nevertheless he packed up his things and was embraced by Vale as he went to his taxi, watching the Italian remain in his doorway until the cab turned away.

Back at his home, Marc was both relieved and needy. Part of him was glad to be away from Vale for the sake of his state of mind, but he also couldn’t shake his own flirtatiousness. He’d let Vale see him half naked, stripped down to a pair of boxers, and that was about as suggestive as it could get without things becoming intimate. After the usual family conversation, he went to his room and locked the door, lying flat out on the bed. All around him were pictures of bikes, some of Vale, and then the especially important one from when he had met Vale as a young boy. The photo that was brought into their feud. The photo that meant so much to him. 

“Hey Marc, can we talk?”

The sound of his brother’s voice on the other side of the door made Marc sit up and cross the room. Alex came in and perched on the edge of the bed, watching as his older brother locked the door again.

“How was the trip? Did you get to race on the track?” Alex asked, keen to find out what it was really like at Vale’s ranch.

A smile crossed Marc’s face. “It’s the best place, it’s massive! I didn’t want to come home” he replied.

Alex saw a change in his brother; clearly the trip had had an effect on him. His face lit up, his eyes were sparkling. The younger Marquez had long had suspicions that his brother’s feelings on Vale went further than idolising him.

“Marc, do you have, like, feelings for Vale?” he asked quietly, unsure of how the question would be received. For a moment or two there was no answer, and he began to wonder if he should have put it forward at all.

“I guess I do. Is it really so obvious?” Marc replied, suddenly more withdrawn.

“No, not after your falling out. But I’m your brother, I know things others don’t. Just like you know my secrets too” Alex assured, his smile warm.

“No offence but you bringing a girl back here after insisting you wouldn’t is hardly the same as me wanting to sleep with a close friend, is it?”

At that, Alex’s eyes widened. He didn’t expect Marc to be so open, and looked noticeably shocked. He even got the start of an image forming, something that he was quick to erase. “Shit, Marc! You’ve thought about fucking him?”

“Oh no, maybe just touching or kissing, things like that”

-

Later on, when he was sure everyone else in the house was asleep, Marc lay awake with a small lamp on beside his bed. The conversation with Alex had been good to have, finally able to confide in someone who was sure not to speak of it to anyone else. Turning his head, Marc could see the old photo of him and Vale, the Italian looking almost the same despite it being taken many years ago. He closed his eyes and took himself back to the ranch, the both of them so casual; it was hard to believe they’d gone months without talking. All the things Marc had done there, the hints, letting Vale see him as he hadn’t before. He wanted to know that his efforts hadn’t been in vain, that Vale would call him and invite him back and touch him all over. Marc could feel his skin tingle at the thought, and he opened his eyes again. He reached out and picked up the picture, pushing a piece of paper under the frame to cover his own face. The only focus now was with Vale’s face, and the Spaniard felt himself weakening. His free hand went to his boxers, giving himself a slight squeeze. He couldn’t even decide if it was a good or bad thing to do, because it gave both relief and sinful need at the same time. It took barely a moment for him to choose his next action, removing the paper and placing the photo back on the side. Then he turned off the lamp and lay in the darkness thinking about what he was doing. Maybe Vale wanted it too? After all, he’d not objected to any of the half-naked displays. Only time would tell if Marc’s fantasy was to be fulfilled, and he fell asleep with the image of that photo in his mind.


	7. Making Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex has an idea...

The conversation lingered with Alex too as he stayed awake listening to music. He couldn’t believe that Marc had been so open on how he felt. Sure, he’d had an idea about it but nothing even close to sex. Heck, he thought Marc was completely straight judging from how many times he’d heard things from his brother’s room. But then again there was no guarantee they were even women. Alex then took his headphones out and ran his hands down his face, wondering why on earth he was reading so much into his brother’s sexuality. Marc was free to fuck who he wanted, regardless of whether it was some girl from a bar or Vale. Unable to get the thoughts off his mind, Alex got out of bed and went to the bathroom, splashing cold water onto his face. He considered whether telling Vale would be the right thing to do; after all, there were only so many ways this could end up.

The next morning, nothing was mentioned of the conversation as the brothers had breakfast with the family. However, Alex could tell that Marc was still thinking about it. After breakfast, Marc went to the garden and sat there playing with his phone while his brother watched from the kitchen. He scrolled down his contacts to Vale, finger lingering for a moment as he contemplated calling him. Then he put it away and went back inside the house. Having seen this, Alex decided to take things into his own hands and set them up. Not on a date, just to see if Marc would say anything. He thought out a time and a place before messaging Vale with the suggestion of meeting up for drinks. With the Italian quickly agreeing, he went in search of Marc. He was in his room again, this time reading. Hearing the knock as the door opened, he looked up.

“You doing anything next week?” Alex asked, closing the door behind him as he leant against the wall.

Marc looked up to the ceiling then shook his head. “I don’t think so…why?”

“Well, me and some of the lads were going to do a drinks night, and we all get on, so how does it sound?”

“Count me in! Who’s agreed?” Marc replied cheerily, putting down his papers.

“Oh, Rins, Tito, Maverick, Pecco…still waiting for some others but they’re up for it” As much as Alex wanted to admit that it was all a cover, lying felt too good. He imagined the looks on Marc and Vale’s faces when they realised.

“Okay”

With that, Alex smiled and left the room. Both Marc and Vale were keen to come along to the ‘drinking night’, so all he had to do was keep up lying and get the lads to do the same until the meeting had happened. 

That day came round surprisingly quickly, the time beforehand being filled with motocross and days out. Thankfully, Marc and Vale hadn’t spoken much to any of the lads about the trip, but Alex was still on edge for the messages he was expecting to receive once they realised it was a set up.

It was soon the day of reckoning, and Alex played along with helping Marc choose what to wear. Normally they weren’t too fussy, but Alex made quite a deal of dressing up. By the time they were both ready, it was late afternoon. 

“Okay, who’s driving?” Marc asked as they went downstairs and out to the driveway.

Alex paused. He hadn’t thought this part through. “How about we ride? It’s still warm, we have a few hours to get there, so let’s take a slow ride over”

To his relief, Marc grinned. “Only if we race. The loser buys the first round, yes?” he suggested.

They both then returned to the house to get their helmets before getting their bikes ready at the end of the driveway.

“You ready?”

“Fuck yes”

“Three, two, one…go!”


	8. The Set-Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *sexual tension*

Marc was first to arrive at the bar they’d agreed to meet at, having passed Alex at a fuel stop. Parking his bike up outside, he went inside and ordered a drink to have while he waited for the others to arrive. Minutes went by as he sat in a booth by the window, looking out for sight of his friends. Then, half an hour later, he got a surprise as a cab pulled up and Vale got out. Putting his drink down, Marc reminded himself of who was meant to be coming, and couldn’t recall Vale being on that list. He tried not to make his look obvious as the Italian entered the bar, but was quickly spotted.

“Ciao Marc! Where are the others?” Vale greeted him with a smile as he sat down. Maybe Alex had mentioned Vale joining them after all.

“I don’t know…Alex stopped for fuel on the way, but that was at least an hour ago” Marc replied. Then he had a thought. What if the others weren’t coming? What if Alex had lied to him to set them up on a date? He finished his drink quickly and stood up. “I’m just going outside to call Alex and see what’s up” he said, taking his glass to the bar. Vale nodded and got up to buy himself a drink.

Away from Vale, Marc pulled his phone from his pocket and dialled Alex’s number. It didn’t take long for him to pick up.

“Alex, where the fuck is everyone? Vale’s just turned up and there’s no-one else here?” Marc asked. There was a pause, during which other voices could be heard in the background. “Alex, what the fuck’s going on?”

There was a laugh as the phone was passed around on the other end of the line. “Sadly me and the boys won’t be joining you…” Alex mused.

Then Marc realised what his brother was saying. It confirmed what he’d just thought. “You little shit” he hissed, seeing Vale heading for the door. “I’ll call you later”

The second he slid the phone back into his pocket, he heard footsteps in the gravel behind him.

“What did he say?” Vale enquired, sitting on the wall beside his friend. He already had an idea, but didn’t want to say.

Marc too sat down, turning to face the Italian. “He set us up. The others are round mine. So I guess it’s just us for the night” he replied with a sigh.

Then he felt a hand on his shoulder, and a warm smile crosses Vale’s face. It was almost as if he’d known this was going to happen. “Don’t worry, Marc. We can still have a good night”

-

It seemed as though Vale was right as he and Marc drank and shot some pool. The bartender was out the back mostly, trusting that his clients would behave. And, for a few hours, things went as usual for the two men. As they began their third game of pool, Marc sat on a barstool to see Vale take the first shot. As he watched, he wondered if his brother had done the right thing. Then he noticed how he’d been staring at Vale’s ass, and hopped off the stool to take his shot. Of course, Vale knew that Marc had been looking at him, and was now absolutely sure that Marc was into him. Neither of them objected to being set up, so there was all night to see how things panned out. 

“Your game gets worse with every shot! Maybe the master should teach you this, too?” the Italian laughed, seeing his friend miss more and more shots. 

Marc propped himself up and nodded, eyes half closed. Having not stopped drinking since they’d arrived, his decrease in performance was no surprise. “Come on, you can do better?” he challenged.

Vale went over to the Spaniard and took the cue, bending low to pot his ball, a cheeky glint in his eyes. “Naturally”

He then handed the cue back to Marc, standing close as he lined up his shot. “Give me a hand, ey Vale?” he whispered, looking over his shoulder. 

The Italian smirked and moved up closer. If Marc was going to flirt, so was Vale. He rested a hand at the top of Marc’s back and gently pushed him down, then reached to place his hand over the Spaniard’s on the cue. Vale could have sworn he heard a sigh as he pulled the cue back before potting the ball. He then stepped back, admiring the view as Marc remained bent over the table. Damn, he looked good in those jeans and that shirt. For once, Vale allowed himself to appreciate his friend’s figure, perhaps even going as far as to remember what his body was like without the clothes. 

“Marc, I need to ask something” he murmured, taking a sip of his drink to wet his mouth.

The Spaniard turned and leant against the table. “Yes?”

Vale was glad for the drinks they’d had as he pieced together the sentence in his head. “You want to come back to the ranch?”


	9. Experience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens at the ranch stays at the ranch. Unless your brother knows what's up.

The journey to the ranch was a long one, especially given the two men had been drinking. Things were normal in the cab to the airport, but the flight was the setting for a change in their friendship. It was a small private jet, Marc and Vale the only passengers. As the plane settled at cruising altitude, Marc turned to Vale and leant against his shoulder.

“I know you’ve been eyeing me…” he whispered.

Vale glanced down and leant away. “Returning your flirting, is that too wrong?” he replied softly.

Marc laughed, and shuffled closer again, pressing his friend against the window. “Does it feel wrong?”

The tone of Marc’s voice, the way his eyes had changed from chocolate brown to midnight black, Vale was losing the will to fight his feelings. The Spaniard was a perfect blend of aggressive and submissive, his body like a fine sculpture, and Vale could start to imagine what he was like in bed. The thought should have been momentary, but it lingered and developed the longer they were sat together. And Marc wasn’t going to stop his behaviour any time soon.

This carried on until they were dropped off at the ranch, Marc’s wandering hands threatening to go into territory yet explored. But the moment they got into the house, Vale’s resistance to the flirting was futile, and he led Marc to the lounge. He’d pulled this same thing with women countless times, getting them onto the sofa, but Marc was wise to the trick.

“Oh Vale, not in here…we have things to do!” he protested, slowing down.

The Italian looked mildly puzzled and cocked his head. “But you want this, no?”

It was now Marc’s turn to be the leader, taking Vale’s hand. In the darkness they went upstairs, the younger remembering where the movie room was. It was warm and close, especially with the door closed, but one lamp provided a dim light as Vale’s hand brushed over it. They kept walking until Marc’s knees hit the side of the sofa and he went down onto it, pulling Vale with him. There, they giggled for a moment until the incident faded and the only sound was their breathing. Vale could only just make out Marc’s face in the light, and moved so that he was kneeling up. Running his hands down the Spaniard’s face, it was smooth to the touch. He murmured to himself in Italian as he held the other man in a stare, leaning down. Marc sat up slightly as he did, and the pair met in a half-kiss in the middle, slowly parting.

“You taste like beer” Marc commented, that being the only thing he could think to say.

Meanwhile Vale was kneeling with his mouth slightly open, wanting to chase that taste. The taste of beer and mint and Marc in general was beyond pleasant. “Please don’t keep teasing me…” he said under his breath, closing his eyes. 

The next thing he knew, Marc’s hands were on his shoulders and they were sitting chest to chest. Vale’s mind only caught up when he felt the Spaniard kissing him again, gently, virginally. It wasn’t what they’d imagined it would be, there was no rough manhandling or being pushed against walls as had so often been the case with women. There was an element of feeling, and Vale felt himself fall into his friend’s affections. 

-

Many hours later, the pair awoke, Vale lying half-over Marc on the sofa. At first they didn’t seem to notice, but then it hit them what could have happened. Vale got up and went to the fridge for a drink while Marc looked around the room. 

“Did we, you know, do anything last night?” the Spaniard asked quietly, adjusting his shirt.

Vale shook his head slowly. He could remember the kisses, but not whether anything more than that had gone on. “You kissed me” he murmured, taking a long drink.

There was a groan as Marc held his head in his hands. “Oh god, we shouldn’t have done this…” he said, voice muffled.

“It’s okay” came Vale’s reassurance, making Marc look over at his friend. “It’s been coming for a while”

To the Italian’s surprise, Marc’s cheeks reddened and an unsure expression came over his face. “We should talk about this at some point. Or maybe not, seeing as it’s so obvious”

Vale laughed and handed the younger man his drink. “What is there to discuss? You want to fuck me, I probably want the same thing. But we can’t just go ahead and do it” he sighed.

At this point, there was a noise from Marc’s phone, and he slowly picked it up. It was a message from Alex asking how the night had gone. The Spaniard turned the phone to Vale, then they looked at each other in silence.

“What do we tell him?” he asked, nervous despite his brother having set the whole scene up.

Vale took the phone from Marc and stared intently. “Nothing. Send him a picture of the track. He’ll know” he replied, going out to the landing and holding the phone to the window.  
He then returned and handed Marc the phone.

It didn’t take long to get a response, which turned out to be a photo too. But it wasn’t exactly what Marc expected. It was the photograph from his bedroom, the one with him and Vale, and Alex had made a heart shape with his hands around it. It probably wasn’t as bad as it seemed, but it made Marc think about the age gap between them, and whether it was sensible to carry on. But they couldn’t change what had happened last night, or the fact that Alex knew what was going on. 

“Don’t look so clueless. We can sort this out” Vale assured, placing a hand on Marc’s shoulder.

“I know” Marc replied, setting his phone back down again. He knew Alex was likely to call at some point, but for the moment he was content to stay and try to talk things through with Vale.


	10. Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting towards some smut. Slowly.

For the rest of the day, Marc and Vale stayed at the ranch. They didn’t talk too much about what had gone on, but knew they had two options; move on, or take it further.

As day turned to night, Marc kept checking the time, wondering how he’d get back to his house. For a while, Vale didn’t say anything; he wanted the Spaniard to stay, having considered their behaviour. Kissing Marc hadn’t been bad at all. In fact, he wondered how it hadn’t happened before. Seeing him trying to plan a trip home felt like their time was cut off too soon.

“Why not stay longer, Marc? I don’t mind if you do” Vale suggested, leaning back in his chair.

The younger man looked away from his phone for a moment and turned to see his friend with a knowing smile on his face. “I…my parents will wonder where I am. I don’t even have any clothes to change into” he replied.

Vale shook his head and patted the cushion next to him, waiting for Marc to sit. Then he reached an arm around the Spaniard’s shoulders and leant close. “Tell them you’re working on your ride” he murmured, deliberately lowering his tone to appeal to Marc’s interest.

It seemed to work, because Marc turned to face him with his eyes slightly closed and his lips parted. Amazing how one sentence could make him change just like that, he noted. 

“Will you help me? I want to know how you’re so good” Marc said, voice so soft it was barely audible.

Vale pulled him closer and hummed. Now he knew Marc wouldn’t leave, he could see how far the other man was willing to go. After all, the term ‘ride’ could be used in many contexts, and Marc was looking on the verge of slutty. “You have to earn that…” he teased.

Marc sighed and leant back, focusing only on Vale’s eyes as he got up onto his knees. Again, it seemed like he was prepared to beg and take instruction from the older man. This gave Vale an idea.

“Put the leathers on, like when I gave you the coffee. Nothing underneath” he instructed, sounding perhaps a little too casual.

Marc went quiet, thinking it through. But his curiosity won over and he was quickly making his way downstairs to the garage. Vale followed leisurely, sitting down in the kitchen. It wasn’t long before Marc returned, looking even better than he had done. The leathers were sitting at his hips, and there was a slight blush in his cheeks. He stood in the doorway and waited for further instruction, in anticipation of what would happen next. 

Seeing the Spaniard standing there made Vale feel instantly hot under the collar. He let his eyes wander down, tearing his gaze from Marc’s dark, nearly needy stare. Every part of the younger man was under scrutiny as Vale let himself take in the smallest details; scars, the lines of bone and muscle, until the leathers cut him off. A smile came over his face as he stood up and walked over to Marc, the Spaniard’s breath hitching as the gap between them closed. 

“This is a good look on you” he commented, leaning on the opposite side of the doorway.

Marc briefly looked to the floor, then reached for the hem of Vale’s shirt, bringing them together. The Italian seemed strangely calm given how thick the tension was between them, and Marc inhaled slightly as their groins touched, the sensation of the leathers on his bare skin making him shiver. He could only imagine how it would feel to be on one of the bikes, all under Vale’s watchful eye.

-

“Get on here, down low like in the race” Vale said, the pair having moved to the garage. The Italian whipped a sheet from one of the bikes, his previous winning Yamaha, and gestured for Marc to climb on.

The Spaniard did as he was told, feeling himself mould instantly to the shape, finding the feel to his liking. Behind him, Vale hummed. He liked the view of the younger man spread over his bike, the curve of his back rising and falling with every breath. Moving closer, Vale reached out and ran a hand up Marc’s side, then down again, lingering before he gave his ass a smack. The Spaniard shivered, turning his head slightly to see what Vale was doing.

“You don’t need my help, you already are so perfect…” the Italian remarked, moving round to the front end of the bike.

“I’ve thought about doing things with bikes, with you” Marc admitted, looking up at his friend.

Vale raised an eyebrow and pulled Marc up. “You want to tell me about that?” he purred.

“I’d rather demonstrate”

Marc slid off the bike, now coming across more confident in how he acted, pulling at Vale’s shirt and taking a moment or two longer than necessary to appreciate him once it had been tossed aside. Then he returned to sit on the bike, his back to the dash as he leant against it. The action was an open invite for Vale to join him, sitting so that they were facing each other. The Spaniard hooked his fingers in Vale’s belt and pulled him closer still, finding that he began to lean over. 

“Hands on the throttle…” he said, staring Vale dead in the eyes and seeing his pupils blow wider.

The Italian reached out past his friend and gripped the handlebars, feeling Marc slide down slightly. They were so close that he could feel breathing on his neck, then soft kisses on his shoulder. Any control he’d had earlier was slipping away as he closed his eyes and let the younger man run feather-light touches across his sides. Damn, Marc was one heck of a tease.

“Reciprocate, Vale” Marc whispered in his ear, the sound of his voice strangely sexy.

Vale swallowed the lump in his throat and tilted his head to the side, clumsily seeking out Marc’s lips for the kiss he now longed for. Unlike the previous one, this kiss was far from chaste as both men vied for dominance. Vale’s hands came away from the handles and he got down on his forearms, pinning Marc to the frame. He hadn’t really considered doing this before, but with Marc he didn’t need to think twice. The way the Spaniard’s hands moved and he always wanted more was only adding to the tightness in Vale’s jeans, and the lesson on riding had taken on a new level. If the Italian had ever thought he was getting too old for this game, Marc made him realise that those thoughts were an absolute lie.


	11. Fun and Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #randylads, that's all I'm saying

Marc had lost track of how long they’d been in the garage for, too involved in the kiss to really notice anything else until Vale suddenly sat upright and looked around.

“What’s up?” Marc murmured, hauling himself up against the dash.

Vale hopped off the bike and quickly pulled on his shirt, rushing to make himself presentable. “There was a noise outside. I forgot, Luca was coming round to work on some things...” he explained as the Spaniard climbed off the bike and pulled the leathers up a little.

“How can you just forget? He’s your brother!” Marc asked as Vale opened the door.

The Italian turned and looked at him for a moment. “Things come up” he replied before going back towards the kitchen.

By the time Marc had caught up, Vale was chatting casually to his brother as though nothing had happened. They turned and invited him to sit, a cold glass of water in place.

“Vale says you’ve been practising too” Luca commented, eyes on Marc as he took a drink.

The Spaniard nodded and shot a sideways glance at Vale. “Yeah, we had some free time so I came round. It’s been very insightful” he replied.

“Maybe we can all have a race? See who’s fastest?” Luca offered, turning to his brother.

Vale raised his eyebrows and then narrowed his eyes. Clearly he had something a little different in mind. “What’s Alex doing? We can do a sibling shootout” he asked.

Marc was surprised at this, least of all because Alex knew what was going on. He could tell Luca; after all, they raced in the same class, they got on well enough. Nevertheless, he went through his phone and called Alex with speakers on, the younger Marquez willing to make the journey to join them. The group spoke for a while, ending when Alex hung up to make arrangements for his trip. When he’d gone, the guys went about making some dinner to pass the time.

It was several hours before Alex arrived in a black cab, dropping him off with his bags outside the ranch. Hearing the taxi pull up, Vale went to greet his guest and show him inside. On seeing the ranch outside, Alex went noticeable quiet, only brought back into conversation by his ever-eager brother. 

“You ready to get out on track?” Marc asked, watching his brother set his bags down on the bed Vale had let him have for the night.

Alex nodded. “Of course! You should be asking Vale and Luca if they’re ready” he replied with a grin.

The pair then headed downstairs to find their friends out by the track sweeping some leaves which had blown over. Attention immediately turned to getting the bikes ready, and Vale led the others to the garage, unveiling the various bikes he had inside. The one still uncovered was given to Marc, he and Vale blushing a little at what they’d done on it earlier, a reaction noticed by both Alex and Luca although only one of them understood what it could mean.

-

With light still good enough, the guys were able to get in several races before calling time. Most of it had been in jest, with mock podiums set up for the winner, and underhand tactics between the siblings to get ahead. In the end, Marc and Alex counted themselves the winners as they put the bikes away and retired to the house for the night.

After showering and changing clothes, all four men sat in the lounge discussing how their seasons were going. As time passed, Luca went up to his room, Alex following shortly after, the latter knowing that he’d be the third wheel if he stayed. Marc and Vale watched them leave from the comfort of the sofa, waiting until the footsteps faded away. When they were sure their brothers were out of earshot, Marc turned to Vale and relaxed slightly.

“Today’s been killing me since Luca turned up earlier” he admitted with a hint of a grin.

“Hmm…who knows what could’ve happened had he forgotten” Vale replied.

Marc smirked and the Italian leant closer without really realising. “Can I tell you what I wanted to happen? Because I enjoy teasing you” he mused.

The response was a nod, and Marc turned so that he was lying against the arm of the chair, Vale nearly over him in the same position they’d been in before. “I’d have you out of those jeans, sliding them down as I get on my knees with you against the bike…” he began, seeing a change come over the Italian. “How bad do you want it, Vale?” he added, feeling his boxers grow tighter. 

The tone of the Spaniard’s voice was hard to resist, and Vale went straight back to the mindset of before, aware that this time he could control Marc a lot more. Stretching forward, he held a stare for a moment before lowering his head to nip at Marc’s ear, kiss down his neck. At the same time, the Spaniard raised his hips, hands grasping at Vale’s ass to pull them together. Vale shivered at the contact, moaning against Marc’s neck.

“Fuck, Vale, you feel good” the younger man breathed, slipping his hands under the waistband of his friend’s boxers.

The Italian inhaled sharply and sat up, climbing off Marc to give him a better view as he removed the loose trousers he’d been wearing, then the shirt went too. He took great pleasure in the way Marc’s mouth fell open and his eyes were glued to the tent in his boxers. Slowly, the Spaniard shuffled out of his clothes, gesturing for Vale to join him again. 

The moment Vale was close enough, he reached out to touch and kiss, feverish and messy, clashing with tongues and teeth. Between them was the delicious friction of their covered cocks, and Vale couldn’t remember the last time he’d got so worked up like this. He felt like a randy teenager necking with a girlfriend, not a grown man making out with his fellow rider. But when Marc was playing up to his good looks, he was lethal.

This went on for a while, marks appearing where they’d sucked kisses to skin, things sweaty and needy, taking another dimension when Marc sighed and held Vale painfully close.  
As they pulled apart, he covered his eyes and shook his head, burning up as Vale looked down. Just a few kisses had been enough to make him come, embarrassingly fast too, and he felt a rush of cold air when Vale sat back.

“It was really that good?” the Italian asked, voice soft.

Marc slung his arm over the side of the sofa and hauled himself up. “I can’t believe…since when has it felt so good to sin?” he murmured, not even sure whether to be embarrassed about it.

Vale just smiled warmly, made sweeter by the blush in his cheeks. “Not what you perhaps had in mind, but I could do that all day” he admitted. “What have you done to me, Marc?”

The Spaniard found himself grinning too, then sat up straight. “At least our brothers didn’t see…”


	12. Late Night Reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Luca have questions.

Upstairs, Alex sat on his bed looking out of the window. It was a remarkably clear night as he looked up at the stars, many questions in his head. What was going on between Vale and Marc? Did Luca know anything? 

“You got a minute?” came a sleepy, distant voice.

Alex turned his head to see Luca peering from behind the door. “Sure…”

He wasn’t sure why Luca wanted to see him, but they knew each other well enough to sit and talk to pass the time. The young Italian looked so tired as he slumped down on the bed, sighing as he did. 

“I bet you never get tired of being here. It’s unreal” Alex said, looking down at his friend.

In the blue-tinged light, every feature of Luca’s face was accentuated, his eyes like crystals. “I love it here. We have so much fun, and it makes me forget how different me and Vale are. It’s nice to be called by my name and not just ‘Vale’s half-brother’. That gets a little old after a while” he replied.

That made Alex think about things a little differently. Both he and Luca were in a lower class than their brothers, hearing about their successes more often than not. It was especially bad when Marc and Vale fell out, all the focus on them and the championship fight with Jorge. It was just what the press wanted, some ongoing drama to overshadow each racing weekend. It hadn’t been a pleasant time for any of them, and everyone was glad the feud was over.

“You listening?” Luca asked, making the Spaniard look down again.

“Yeah…I’m glad we both understand how it feels to have a ‘better’ brother. They’ve taken wins and podiums most races, while we throw it into the gravel. But we’ll get there eventually, we’ll be up there too” Alex replied, his tone changing.

Then he felt the mattress dip as Luca sat up and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I understand. Maybe now we should sleep, hopefully the others will be too tired to win” the Italian suggested, seeing Alex nod.

There was a pause as Luca climbed off the bed and smiled as he crossed the room and closed the door once he’d left. The brief conversation had struck a chord with Alex, and he shut the blinds before lying down on top of the duvet. It was reassuring to hear how Luca felt about being Vale’s brother, how he could be overshadowed, something to which Alex could easily relate. He loved Marc deeply and wouldn’t change anything for the world, but nothing changed the fact that Marc was the one getting press. As he drifted off to sleep, the last things on his mind were his family and the days out with his brother, cycling and running, taking selfies. The things that were most important along with the racing.

Downstairs, Marc and Vale were still going over what had happened. Noticing the time, they knew it was getting late, and Vale stood up. They hadn’t mentioned sleeping arrangements now that Alex and Luca were staying, and Marc hoped it wouldn’t be hard to sort something out. He knew there was a bedroom with two singles, as well as the main room which was Vale’s. It was completely up to the Italian where he was going to spend the night.

“Maybe we should sleep in separate rooms tonight” Vale suggested, glancing up to the ceiling. “It could help us cool down”

Marc nodded and also got to his feet, following as his friend went through to the stairs. “I agree…wouldn’t want Alex and Luca to see something they shouldn’t” he remarked with a wry smile, not entirely comfortable with how his boxers stuck to him like a second skin.

They crossed the landing and parted ways to enter their rooms, exchanging soft smiles before closing the doors. The house was then silent as all four men bedded down, all asleep apart from Luca. While he’d been almost ready to nod off not even an hour beforehand, the chat with Alex had woken him up a little. He heard his brother and Marc come upstairs and go into their rooms. And he also heard the last thing they’d said.

“Wouldn’t want Alex and Luca to see something they shouldn’t”

It could just have been an innocent joke, but the longer Luca lay awake, the deeper he looked into the connotations of that sentence. He thought about the races earlier in the day, not seeing anything different to usual. Just a group of guys having a good time. If there was anything going on there, it wasn’t obvious to him, and Luca was content to sleep on the fact that he’d heard a perfectly innocent conversation.


	13. Luca

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brotherly talks..

The next day, Marc and Alex left the ranch to make the trip back home, Vale and Luca watching as their cab drove away. When it had gone, Vale stood in silence, staring down the road. Then he turned and went back inside, passing Luca as he went through to the kitchen. The younger Italian could feel that something wasn’t quite right, following his brother to make a drink. He found Vale staring out of the window, a little distant.

“Can I ask you something?” he asked, fetching a water from the fridge and taking a seat at the table. 

Vale turned slowly and leant against the worktop. “Sure”

“Last night, I heard Marc say something, apparently that me and Alex can’t find out. What is it?” Luca said, noticing a slight change in his brother’s expression. 

Vale shook his head and stepped away from the counter and wandered over to the door. “Nothing for you to worry about. We’d had some drinks and a talk before bed, that’s all” he replied, going out to the stairs.

For a moment, Luca sat and looked around, then began to wonder if there was something else going on. None of them had been drinking, and the time when Vale and Marc were alone wasn’t long enough to get drunk. While he had a suspicion that he hadn’t been told everything, he didn’t know exactly what he thought he should be told. The real question was why his own brother was lying to him.

-

Upstairs, Vale went to his en-suite and locked the door, sitting on the edge of the bath, eyes closed. He still couldn’t get over what had happened on the sofa last night, and the fact that Luca was asking questions made it feel worse. He didn’t want to lie to his brother of all people, but it was hard to begin explaining how he felt and what he wanted. 

In his pocket, his phone vibrated. It was a message from Alex with a warning: Think about what you’re doing. 

That sentence did have the desired effect, but Vale had been thinking a lot about the relationship between himself and Marc. As the older man, perhaps he should be the one to say what could or couldn’t happen. But then Marc too was a mature adult, and the encounter had proved that there was something there that they couldn’t avoid. It was a strange situation, as Vale hadn’t ever had feelings for men, he’d loved and lost many women and that had been enough. 

Again, the phone went off and he checked it, expecting another message from Alex. However this time it was Marc calling, and Vale immediately answered.

“Hey Marc, how’s the journey?” he asked, trying to be casual.

“It’s okay but I don’t want to go home…” Marc replied, voice trailing off at the end.

Vale sighed. “We need some space, time to think. Luca’s been asking things”

“Shame he had to come round, we could’ve done so much more…” the Spaniard said suggestively. 

At that point, Vale had to take a moment, now understanding that this meant a lot more to Marc than it did to him. Maybe it would be best to cut this off before it got to a different level. The sound of Marc’s voice asking if he was still there then drew Vale back to the phone, and he took a deep breath. 

“I need time for Luca to stop asking. We can see each other at the next race” Vale explained.

“Don’t say that, it’s going to be so hard not seeing you”

“Marc, stop it, please”

“Fine, I’ll see you at free practise”

The Spaniard then hung up, leaving Vale silent at the other end with his eyes closed. He didn’t know what he wanted, whether to follow a small hint and go after Marc, or to do the right thing and call it off before anyone got hurt. Knowing that carrying on meant lying to Luca and everyone he knew, risking the wrath of Alex; it should have made the decision easy but it didn’t. Something that might change things was the talk they hadn’t had about Sepang. Sure there had been apologies, but they hadn’t really talked properly about what had gone on. 

-

Later that evening, Vale was still thinking about what he should do as he watched some old races in the lounge with his brother. It hadn’t been like this with a woman, he hadn’t had to deliberate so much over what to do.

“Something’s on your mind” Luca commented, facing his brother.

Vale also turned and met the familiar gaze, questioning and pure. “It’s hard to talk about right now” he mumbled.

“I’m your brother, you can tell me anything” the young Italian assured. “It can’t be that bad”

There was a sigh. It could be that bad. “Fine, fine. But you can’t say a word. Not to the lads, or even family, understand?”

Luca nodded, fully attentive. His youth and innocence made it worse, but Vale knew he had to swallow his pride and just admit what had been going on.

“What you heard the other last night, I lied. Me and Marc, we did something...we kissed and he came…oh god, Luca, I don’t know why I did it and I don’t know what to do” Vale said quietly, face burning up as he saw his brother’s mouth drop. It made him feel shameful.

Luca sat shocked at the admission. He’d never known his brother so affected over a woman, yet he was in a mess over a fellow rider. 

“For god’s sake Luca, say something”

“What do you want me to say? You fell out with Marc and now you’re fucking him!”

Vale balled his fists and growled in frustration. He didn’t expect his brother to understand. “Before Sepang, there was something there, like admiration, you know? Then we made up and realised what we’d missed, and he really feels something beyond just friendship. I know it’s not great but I did enjoy it and I don’t know if I can actually stop it before it becomes anything more” he ranted, sighing when he’d finished.

There was then a silence, during which both of them thought about the situation. Vale felt no better for offloading his feelings, whereas Luca was plain confused. A normal track day had gone from amazing to fairly awkward quite quickly, and it was taking time to sink in. 

“Do you want him?” Luca asked softly, turning again to his brother.

Vale shrugged. “I don’t know”

“Maybe you can just treat Sachsenring as usual and see how it goes? It could work better that way” the younger suggested.

It wasn’t a bad idea, and it would be interesting to see how Marc reacted, Vale thought. It might be the best thing, just to put the ball in the Spaniard’s court and see what he did. A smile crossed the Italian’s face as he looked over at his brother and reached to pat his shoulder. Now he was thankful he’d told Luca, the younger man being so calm and level-headed. They then finished watching the footage on the television before retiring to their rooms for the night. There, Vale allowed himself to think about the next race and what it would bring.


	14. 7/7 Meeting

Build-up to the Sachsenring race was swift, much attention paid to Marc’s past record at the track. Vale tried to focus on his own ride, but it was hard. There were interviews and conferences where they kept meeting, but it was never enough time for a full conversation, and then everything was suddenly about the free practise and getting the settings right.  
Right from the off, the weather was key. It didn’t get Vale’s weekend off to a dream start, made worse by the fact that Marc was banging in decent laps. The qualifying sessions were easier, the weather warmer and drier than it had been the day before, and this finally gave Vale the chance to get a good time. In between runs, he watched the times come in, seeing surprises all over the board. The greatest surprise was that Jorge was languishing, having gone down to Q1. Vale knew how crashes could have an adverse effect on a rider’s confidence, but it seemed that his teammate was having the worst luck he’d had for some time. Three crashes so far during the weekend had meant Jorge was suffering, having to work his way up. 

Having sat in the garage during the Q1 session, Vale began to get ready for the main qualifying session, the one which would decide his place for the race tomorrow. Still dry out, he went for his first run, aware of others who were consistently fast around him. The clock ticked down, board constantly changing as the track evolved and riders switched bikes.  
Again, Marc was fast, but Vale was working his way up the board, eventually ending up third once the flag was out. He was mildly surprised to see that the man separating himself from Marc was Hector, even stranger given that Jorge and Dani were much further down.

Many more interviews came and went, the next conference going like any other. The entire time, Marc had behaved normally; no flirting, no funny looks, nothing. It was several hours before they were free to get some rest, and Vale made his way back to his motorhome. He could hear people talking, and vehicles in the distance. The grass rustled under his feet as he drew closer, his van easily visible. Then out of nowhere, a hand grasped a fistful of his shirt and pulled him violently to the side, behind a nearby truck.

“What the f-“ Vale hissed, cut off abruptly when he saw who was in front of him.

“Shut up and listen. Does Luca know about you and Marc?” Alex whispered harshly, still holding tight to the other man’s shirt.

Vale leant back against the truck, staring the Spaniard out. “I told him, I had to. He heard something and kept asking” he replied.

“Be careful what you say and what you do. You’d feel the same way I do if Luca was in this situation” Alex warned, letting go of the shirt before he walked away behind the truck.

Taking a moment to let the brief encounter sink in, Vale looked to the sky, wondering why Alex had suddenly got so protective. After all, Marc had been the one to start this whole thing with his behaviour. The Italian then continued back to his own motorhome to rest up for the race tomorrow.

-

The next morning was overcast and wet, not the best start to race day. Getting ready as usual, he was soon making his way down to the garage to meet the crew. The Moto3 guys were out warming up before their race, the rain not letting up as they set off for the first lap. As always, Vale watched from the pit wall, keen to track the progress of his academy riders. 

The weather didn’t really improve for the Moto2, but the track had started to dry out by the time it came to the GP. It was quite clear that they would likely need a bike change at some point, but that was something to think about when the time came. Lining up third, Vale could see his goal, he knew how important it was to get out front and create a gap. The warmup lap rolled round, then he was waiting for the lights.

For a while, the race went in his favour. But soon he was dropping back, then others began to pit. A repeat of that Misano race, Vale ignored his team and didn’t pit when asked. As a result, he only managed eighth, only able to watch as Marc crossed the line in first. Naturally he was annoyed, knowing he should have done better, but at the same time he was thankful that he didn’t have to sit beside Marc in the conference.

There were seemingly endless parties that night at Repsol, given that Marc was unbeaten for the past seven races at the Sachsenring, and Vale went back to his motorhome to mull over his weekend. It could have been so much better, but at least he’d finished with more points than Jorge, thus keeping his title bid somewhat in reach. Going into the long summer break would give him some real respite and time to work on small issues with his ride. 

A few hours later, and Vale was still in his armchair with a cold drink, wondering what the second half of the season would bring. As he thought, there was a knock at his door. On opening it, he found Marc there. Just like at Catalunya, he was holding a bottle. The Italian quickly checked nobody was around, then let his friend inside. 

“Shouldn’t you be with your guys?” Vale asked dryly.

“I needed to see you…even if Alex doesn’t want me to” Marc mused, setting the bottle down. He’d been drinking for a while by the sound of his voice, but even then he was still charming. 

“Hmm…Alex is really protective over you. Can’t think why” the Italian said.

Marc smiled and stood directly in front of his friend, the look of promise on his face, and it had Vale fixated. The Italian couldn’t seem to break the gaze as Marc pulled up his shirt and dropped it beside him. 

“It’s been so hard being alone, Vale...” he murmured, leaning to place his hands on the arms of the chair.

The older man swallowed, face to face with the Spaniard. The room around him suddenly felt close and hot, the warmth going straight to his groin as Marc stepped back and unfastened his jeans, pulling them down slowly while still holding the stare with the Italian. There was then so much to focus on, nearly too much, as Vale’s eyes wandered over the expanse of tanned skin and defined muscle. So much to see and feel.

“You could be a stripper in your spare time” Vale managed, fiddling to loosen his own trousers.

“Private shows only, you earn them” the Spaniard replied with a grin, gesturing for Vale to undress. The request was granted, and Marc moved to sit on his friend’s lap.

Mind going back to the events at the ranch, Vale’s eyes narrowed and he pulled Marc closer, hands firm on his thighs. The younger man moaned softly, the only thing between them being the fabric of their boxers, creating the friction they needed to start the night exactly as the Spaniard had intended.


	15. Bedroom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marc and Alex talk a bit, Vale pays a visit.

Kissing in Vale’s motorhome felt better than it had done back at the ranch, Marc thought as he leant back to take a breath. He hadn’t been lying when he said it had been difficult being back at home, but with the summer break ahead he could look forward to making plans.

“Why are you doing this to me, Marc? You won today, not me” Vale asked softly

Marc looked down at his friend and smirked. “Ignoring your orders doesn’t make you less attractive” he replied.

The Italian hummed and pulled Marc down again, hands sliding under the waistband of his boxers and running down his crack. The Spaniard shivered, moving one of his hands down from Vale’s face to his boxers, palming him through the thin fabric. But it wasn’t long before his hand was moved away and Vale leant back, eyes closed. 

“I can’t do this…not here, not with the guys so close” he murmured, opening his eyes to look up at the ceiling.

Marc sat still for a moment, wondering what had changed so quickly. “If it was more private would you feel differently? Only, I know some really good villas…” he suggested, fingers running up and down Vale’s chest.

“You’re saying we should holiday together? Marc, we’re not dating” Vale replied, their eyes meeting.

“Just think of it as two friends going for a well-deserved break” the Spaniard assured with a smile.

-

A few days later, any testing sessions were over, and the guys were free to start their holidays. Back at his home, Marc was thinking about Vale and the promised villa. Even before he’d gone to Vale, he’d been planning to get away and go swimming or riding, but the idea of having his friend there too was a temptation too good to let go. 

“Hey Marc, you want to go cycling this afternoon? The weather’s great outside!” he heard Alex at the door, then saw him peer around it.

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll be out in a sec, just let me get changed” 

Alex disappeared from sight, then came into the room, eyeing his brother intently. Marc didn’t know that he’d had words with Vale, but then again Vale might have told him.

“You made any plans for the break?” Alex asked, sitting next to his brother. 

Marc turned and smiled, more to himself than Alex. “I might go to a villa for a few days, go swimming or something” he said.

“Anything involving a certain Italian?”

“Maybe. I spoke to Vale after the last race, he thinks you’re very protective over me. I know we’re close but at least I leave your love life alone”

The look on Marc’s face made Alex pause. It was the truth, but then again he didn’t get involved with fellow riders, let alone the biggest fan favourite on the grid. 

“You know this is different, Marc. Remember when you fell out, how his fans were taunting you? I don’t want you to do anything stupid, that’s all. I’m your brother, we look out for each other” Alex explained, feeling the tiniest tension dissipate.

“I know, I’d be the same. It’d be so much easier if one of us didn’t ride. I can’t believe people thought I was fucking Jorge though. I’m sure he’s a great guy, but we were all doing our jobs” Marc sighed.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, then Alex stood up and stepped back. “I won’t stop you going after Vale, and I won’t tell anyone what you’ve done. Just be careful, you know?” he assured.

Watching his brother turn and leave, Marc thought about what he was doing. As much as it could end up in tears, he couldn’t stop how he felt. After a while, he decided to get changed and follow Alex out to fetch their bikes. He had plenty of time to sort his break out.

-

Making a plan was surprisingly easy as Marc and Alex returned home, the former going for a shower. He took his phone to the bathroom and called Vale, the Italian picking up almost immediately.

“Ciao Marc! How are you?” he asked cheerily, bringing a smile to the Spaniard’s face.

“I’m all good. Do you want to holiday with me? I know the perfect place…” Marc began, hearing a soft purr at the other end of the line. “…looking over the sea, it has a pool, mezzanine floor…”

“Sounds great. Will you be at home tonight?” came the reply.

“Of course, why?”

“Don’t go out. I might drop by at some point”

The line then crackled as Vale hung up, leaving Marc wondering whether he was serious. It was a long way to come just for a visit, but then the thought was obviously there if Vale was prepared to make such a trip. Marc then snapped out of the daydream and undressed for the shower, letting the water cleanse his mind. The idea of Vale going to such effort to see him wouldn’t leave quickly, and it seemed to make each touch of his hands on his own body much better, more sensitive.

It was many hours before there was a knock at the door, and Marc was down like a shot to answer it. There on his doorstep was Vale, no cases or bags, just him alone. The look on his face was nearly unreadable, Marc just about picking up that he had something in mind. 

“Vale…come in, come in. Oh, I’ve missed you since we last met”

“I know…are you alone?”

“Sort of, everyone else is in bed. Come quietly, we don’t want anyone to wake up”

Locking the door, the pair went upstairs to Marc’s room, the Spaniard watching as his friend sat on the bed and looked around. “I’ll get a drink, wait here”

Vale watched as Marc closed the door and went back downstairs, then carried on studying the room. There were pictures, trophies, models everywhere, and it wasn’t long before he found the treasured photo of himself and Marc. Picking it up, he remembered that day clearly, none of them having any idea they’d go on to be so close. He was still staring at it when Marc returned, the Spaniard freezing by the door.

“See you found my favourite picture” he commented, handing Vale a glass.

“I can remember it so well…” the Italian replied, setting the picture back on the side table.

Marc then took a drink and went to move the picture so that it was face-down, a hint of the mood he was in. He hadn’t expected Vale to actually come to see him so soon, but having the Italian sitting on his bed was proving too much. He set down his glass and stood in front of Vale, watching him also place his glass on the table.

“Whatever you want to do, do it” Vale whispered, shuffling back.

The idea of getting permission was becoming a weakness for Marc, involuntarily handing the first control to Vale. He knelt on the bed and let the older man remove the vest he’d put on the answer the door, Vale’s fingers feather-light as they ghosted over him. 

“I want you to…do things to me” Marc murmured, vaguely registering he was half-hard.

Vale glanced down, hands lingering at Marc’s hips. He leant forward, sliding his fingers under the boxers as he kissed his friend. It was strange how any doubt melted away the second he and Marc were alone, like it didn’t matter who they were or what they were doing. 

Time passed slowly as the kiss deepened and Marc was stripped of his boxers, pushed down onto his own bed and touched until he was a whining mess. Vale had lost his shirt and shorts, and his boxers were halfway down his ass, neither of them giving thought to how far they might be going. Aware of his family, Marc tried to be quiet, but he couldn’t. It was a surreal experience, both of them naked in his bed, surrounded by pictures of Vale of all people. Everything was a mess of heat, friction and the sound of their breathing until he felt Vale curse and sit up.

“Now we’re even…” he laughed, propping himself up as the Italian looked down at the mess between them

“Now your room is tainted…we nearly fucked” Vale murmured, lying back.

Marc smiled and moved forwards, leaning over his friend and dipped his head to lick at the spattering of come on his chest. The Italian shivered at first, then allowed himself to relax slightly. If the promised villa was anything like this, he could easily see them going one step further and sleeping together. 

“There…maybe now we sleep. Come on, get under the duvet. We can do more tomorrow” Marc said softy, sitting back against the pillows and beckoning him closer. 

Vale complied willingly, his body suddenly feeling a lot heavier as the need for a rest hit him all at once. Under the duvet, he felt Marc against him, warm and comforting. It sent him into a deep sleep, for once nothing to worry over as he let himself relax and wait for the morning to come.


	16. A Night to Remember?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This took way longer than it should've and holy shit go easy on me

The next morning, Vale was up early. Carefully climbing over Marc to get out of bed, he pulled his clothes back on and was about to go to the bathroom when he stopped and remembered where he was. Going back to the bed, he shook his friend awake.

“Someone’s keen…”

“Don’t. You need to distract your family because I’m dying for a piss and they don’t know I’m here. Alex will murder me”

Marc sat up with a grin, too happy too early, and kissed Vale on the cheek before pulling on a robe and leaving the room. Vale heard him go downstairs and greet his parents, then come up with some breakfast. As Marc re-entered the room, Vale went to the bathroom. In the time it had taken him to freshen up, Marc had packed a small case and was sitting on his bed waiting. 

“Leaving so soon?” the Italian joked, closing the door behind him.

Marc laughed. “Here, have some food. We’re going to Almeria to stay in that villa I promised. All our willpower can be let go because nobody will know we’re there and I’ve been making plans” he replied with a smirk.

They shared out the rest of the breakfast, then went downstairs, Vale slipping out of the front door while Marc said his goodbyes. Then he joined him and they walked a little way to catch a taxi that could take them on the long drive down to the coast.

Eight hours and three taxis later, they were standing on the beach listening to the waves lap at the sand in the half-darkness. Marc then led his friend up to a large red-walled villa, letting them both in quickly and flicking on the lights.

“Go out through the far door and wait for me. I’ll be there in a minute” the Spaniard instructed, pausing to appreciate the décor.

Vale did as asked, finding that there was a large pool out the back, hidden from view of others by fences and trees. He stooped to roll back the cover, then quickly checked to see where Marc was. Finding a panel on the wall, he fiddled with it until underwater lights came on, bringing up a brilliant shade of turquoise. He didn’t think twice about stripping down to his boxers and sliding into the cool water. 

After a while, Marc joined him, this time tossing every piece of his clothing aside. Vale watched him come closer, backing them both against the far wall. He could feel hands pushing his boxers down, deciding to pull them off and set them in a sopping pile on the side. The water didn’t seem so cold anymore as he let Marc manhandle him, cocks sliding against each other, bodies pressed as close as physically possible.

“Fuck me…”

Neither of them really thinking, Vale and Marc switched positions, the younger begging in his friend’s ear until he felt himself pushed up, fingers teasing his hole. The feeling wasn’t a first, but it was still raw as Vale added two more fingers, burning as he found his prostate.

“Please…Vale, please…”

He didn’t really know what he was doing, but the Italian removed his fingers and felt Marc hook his legs around his waist, cheeks flushed and lips parted. Lining up, Vale cursed as he pushed inside, not expecting at all how hot and tight it felt. He could hear Marc whining right in his ear, fingers digging into his shoulders. The water lapping around and between them felt surreal, there but not, a reminder of the place they were in. 

At first the pace was slow, small thrusts as Vale accustomed to the feelings and sensations. It was obviously different to fucking a woman, and usually he was more considerate, but Marc was pleading with him to go harder. He picked up the race, Marc not bothering to be quiet as he felt himself burning, so close to the edge as Vale let go, fucking him up against the side of the pool. 

The Spaniard didn’t expect it to be so sudden, from the fact that Vale was fucking him, to the sound of the Italian finding his release. What followed was relative quiet where they held loosely onto each other and thought about what they’d done, both in a state of mild disbelief. After a while, they pulled apart and Vale ducked under the water, running his hands down his face.

“Damn, you’re good…” Marc hummed, stretching.

Vale smiled wryly and went to retrieve his boxers, pulling them on before sitting on the edge of the pool. He didn’t know how to feel; afraid for his reputation, quizzical over his relationship with Marc, where they could go from there. As he thought, he realised that the Spaniard had climbed out of the pool and was sitting behind him.

“Am I that bad a fuck you’re speechless?” Marc joked, running his hands over Vale’s shoulder.

The Italian didn’t move. “No”

“Then what’s wrong?”

As Marc spoke, his hands wandered all over Vale’s body, a diversion from his thoughts. The Italian wondered if he was doing the right thing by coming here and letting Marc seduce him, giving in to the terrible need that had plagued them both. As the older man, he should have known better than to be so easily led.

“I need a drink or something” Vale muttered, brushing his friend off and standing to go back into the villa.

Marc watched him go, not for a second doubting his decision. He’d try again later, hopefully Vale would be willing to reciprocate and maybe let him return the favour.

-

Later that night, nothing further had happened. Waiting until Marc had finally gone to bed, Vale left the villa and went down to the beach, sitting alone as the waves lapped at the sand. He was still very much thinking about the incident in the pool, and pulled his phone from his pocket. Alone, he felt that he needed to call someone, probably Luca. While it was very late, Vale had little doubt that his brother would be sleeping, so dialled his number and waited.

When Luca answered, he did sound tired. “Hey, Vale…what’s up?”

“I need to talk, sorry it’s late”

There was a pause and some shuffling noises, then silence. “Must be serious. You’re with Marc, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. I need to talk with you though, if it’s alright to”

“Of course”

“Okay” Vale took a breath. “I…we…we had sex in the pool, Luca. And we didn’t have condoms, now I know he wants it to keep happening but I don’t know if I want the same”

“Then tell him how you feel, go to the clinic. We can meet at the ranch after and take your mind off it”

While it was reassuring to speak with his brother, Vale was a little concerned over how casual Luca sounded. But it didn’t sound like a bad idea. While he couldn’t bring himself to admit his reservations to Marc, there was nothing wrong with lying about why he wanted to return home. 

After talking to Luca for a little longer, Vale sighed and made his way back to the villa to get some rest. He’d sleep on the matter and deal with Marc in the morning.


	17. All The Wrong Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can't believe it's been a year since the last update... This is a start to the next chapter, there will be a bit more to follow soon.

After a restless nights sleep, Vale woke to find Marc huddled against his side. With hazy vision, he looked down at the young Spaniard, wondering how he'd pluck up the courage to tell him how he really felt. The talk with Luca had been reassuring, but the hard part was just beginning. As he thought things over, Marc shuffled closer and rested an arm on the older mans chest. Vale watched for a moment, before gently moving the arm away and sliding out of the bed.

Walking barefoot through the house, Vale fetched a glass of water from the kitchen and sat at the table; had he been stupid in how he was dealing with Marc? How would he begin to explain his conversation with Luca? Deep in thought, he never saw the younger man come towards him until they were face to face.

"Good morning Vale, how did you sleep?" Marc asked softly, voice morning-rough.

The Italian sighed. "I didn't really get that much..." he murmured. 

Marc tilted his head and leant a little closer. "Are you okay? I know last night night have been a little full on" he asked.

There was a pause, and Vale looked up into the eyes of his friend, deciding that it might just be easier to tell him about the call.

"Marc, I called Luca last night, to tell him about what happened...what we did was irresponsible and probably shouldn't be repeated" he said slowly.

"Why didn't you talk to me? I thought we had something here, Vale? Am I just a toy for you?" the Spaniard asked, his eyes burning into his friend's. "I thought you wanted this as much as I do"

"Luca's my brother, you'd be calling Alex if you were in the same situation"

"Maybe this was a game all along for you-"

"Marc, listen to yourself!"

Vale never got to justify himself, instead watching blankly as Marc got up and stormed out to the pool area. Maybe this was for the best, he told himself as he went to pack his things up in the bedroom. There was a message from Luca on his phone from after their conversation, telling him that everything would work out in the end. Somehow, Vale wasn't sure that his brother was right.

-

A few hours later, Vale was in the back of a taxi on his was to the airport. He'd tried to talk with Marc but to no avail, and felt that his only option at this point was to leave and head back to the ranch. Following the chat with his brother, he'd arranged a meeting with a private doctor for his own peace of mind. The fact that him and Marc had gone from being so close to not speaking; it was like Sepang all over again and it hurt.


End file.
